dynasty"), and Mo'izz addaula ("strengthener of the
dynasty")--succeeded in subduing the province of Fars, at the time of
Qahir's dethronement (see PERSIA: _History_).

20. _Reign of Radi_.--Moqtadir's son, who was then proclaimed caliph
under the name of _ar-Radi billah_ ("the content through God"), was
pious and well-meaning, but inherited only the shadow of power. The
vizier Ibn Moqla tried to maintain his authority at least in Irak and
Mesopotamia, but without success. The treasury was exhausted, the troops
asked for pay, the people in Bagdad were riotous. In this extremity the
caliph bade Ibn Raiq, who had made himself master of Basra and Wasit,
and had command of money and men, to come to his help. He created for
him the office of Amir al-Omara, "Amir of the Amirs," which nearly
corresponds to that of Mayor of the Palace among the Franks.[43]
Thenceforth the worldly power of the Caliphate was a mere shadow. The
empire was by this time practically reduced to the province of Bagdad;
Khorasan and Transoxiana were in the hands of the Samanids, Fars in
those of the Buyids; Kirman and Media were under independent sovereigns;
the Hamdanids possessed Mesopotamia; the Sajids Armenia and Azerbaijan;
the Ikshidites Egypt; as we have seen, the Fatimites Africa, the
Carmathians Arabia. The Amir al-Omara was obliged to purchase from the
latter the freedom of the pilgrimage to Mecca, at the price of a
disgraceful treaty.

During the troubles of the Caliphate the Byzantines had made great
advances; they had even taken Malatia and Samosata (Samsat). But the
great valour of the Hamdanid prince Saif-addaula checked their march.
The Greek army suffered two severe defeats and sued for peace.

21. _Reign of Mottaqi_.--Radi died in Rabia I. A.H. 329 (December 940).
Another son of Moqtadir was then proclaimed caliph under the name of
_al-Mottaqi billah_ ("he who guards himself by God"). At the time of his
accession the Amir al-Omara was the Turkish general Bajkam, in whose
favour Ibn Raiq had been obliged to retire. Unfortunately Bajkam died
soon after, and his death was followed by general anarchy. A certain
Baridi, who had carved out for himself a principality in the province of
Basra, marched against Bagdad and made himself master of the capital,
but was soon driven out by the Dailamite general Kurtakin. Ibn Raiq
came back and reinstated himself as Amir al-Omara. But Baridi again laid
siege to Bagdad, and Mottaqi fled to Nasir addau